Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.
Coco ChanelRead
There are mothers who sew for six months to make a fashion collection - someone's grandmother, someone's sister. We come in and get paid to walk for 10 minutes at the end. Whenever I think about that, I realise it's not about me. I was just the one chosen to represent those women and sell the clothes.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the hard work of women behind the scenes in fashion, highlighting the model's role as a representative rather than the center of attention.
Alek Wek's quote reflects on the often-overlooked contributions of countless women who dedicate significant time and effort to create fashion collections. By recognizing that the model serves merely as the representative of these skilled artisans, it underscores the collaborative nature of the fashion industry and reminds us that success is collective, not individual.
In practice
In a speech about diversity in fashion, this quote can help illustrate the importance of highlighting the creators behind the scenes.
Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.
Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. It's how you carry yourself, how you speak, what you read.
You come first, the clothes later. Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Be creative.
I think it is a good thing to buy less and choose well - it's good for the environment and to be fair it's also good for me because my clothes are quite expensive.
I used to look back at pictures and cringe but actually I'm quite proud that I've had fun with fashion and don't always look perfect. The only regret I have is when I look at something I wore when I was very young and it obviously looks like it belonged to someone else.
When I started, I knew nothing about fashion. I remember, my first day going to my agency, I was wearing these huge bell-bottoms - they were patchwork corduroy and denim, which, at the time, I thought were amazing. My agent told me, 'You have a casting with Prada - you have to burn those jeans.'
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